Darrell Markewitz is a professional blacksmith who specializes in the Viking Age. He designed the living History program for L'Anse aux Meadows NHSC (Parks Canada) and worked on a number of major international exhibits. A recent passion is experimental iron smelting.
'Hammered Out Bits' focuses primarily on IRON and the VIKING AGE

Wednesday, April 17, 2013

I am an aspiring
student who is interested in the Viking Age world and culture and wish
to attend a University in hopes to study the Vikings and even become an
archeologist. I would like to one day work in a Viking Age museum,
either doing research or helping to further ongoing research.

Big Problem !

I talked to a couple of people I know (senior students, working
archaeologists) at an demonstration DARC just did at the Royal Ontario
Museum last weekend. I got pretty much the same response from everyone:

Consider a general archaeology undergraduate program.
- There are a very limited few institutions that have special programs
that relate to Norse studies. Often these will be entirely language
based, and usually only offered at a senior under grad or worse post
grad (masters) level. Even in North America, this may mean major
universities (distance and expense). University of Toronto is one such
btw.
- Try to find a university / college that might have some individual
instructors with a personal interest in Northern European / Norse
research. Hope you can link up with one of those. (Kevin Smith out of
Brown in Rhode Island is one I know of)
- Take a look at schools that have some kind of experimental archaeology
program. (Bill Schindler at Washington College in Maryland is one I
know of)

A number of people suggested that if your true desire is to study Norse
history / Archaeology, you might even consider looking to a school in
England or even Scandinavia.

In North America, there is only ONE historic site / living history
museum. That is L'Anse aux Meadows NHSC. The interpretive program there
only employs about 6 individuals. This is short season (June through
September), and realistically, those jobs go to locals, most of which
have been with the program for at least a decade or more.
There is only one fully functioning 'historic entertainment' VA site
that I am aware of. That is Norstead - right next to LAM. The staff
there fits the same restrictions.
There may be some other fledgling private 'villages' in operation,
mainly in the USA. Over the years I have heard a lot of bold plans, but
honestly, have never seen any of those result in a stable working
situation.

So the long and short is that useful paths inside North America are
quite limited. In Scandinavia particularly, there are a large number of
living history sites with interpretive programs. These range in size and
complexity. Some do offer volunteer programs, some even training
possibilities (thinking of the Ribe Viking Centre for the first and Lejre Experimental Centre for the second).

I wish I could offer better advise. I came up via 1800's living history
museums in the late 70's and 80's. Back then there was no such thing as
education as a historic interpreter. I boldly self promoted myself to
get the work designing the Encampment program for Parks Canada at LAM.
Its easy to be considered the specialist - when you are the ONLY one in
the field! So for me, it has been over 30 years of acquired working
experience, rather than formal training.

Talking to Dr Birgitta Wallace, at LAM in 2010 (photo - Paul Halasz)

Hope this is some (limited ) help. For myself, I would say 'just do it'...

February 15 - May 15, 2012 : Supported by a Crafts Projects - Creation and Development Grant

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